What Happened to L.A.’s Public Transit?

The U.S. spends more on public transportation than most European and Asian countries, but it gets much less bang for its buck. History and geography are part of the explanation: American cities are younger than the European capitals, which were built for walking. Meanwhile, our sprawling suburbs seem to call for automobiles to connect them. But that isn’t the whole story. Many American cities, including Los Angeles, once had thriving public transit. So what happened?

Credits

Guest:

  • Peter Norton - associate professor of history at the University of Virginia’s Department of Engineering and Society